Outgoing Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Friday appealed to the senators to pass the House of Representatives-approved bill legalizing the use of medical cannabis.
Medical cannabis, Villafuerte said, will alleviate the suffering of Filipinos afflicted with cancer and other severe ailments.
He said medical cannabis comes from the non-addictive strain of the cannabis sativa or marijuana plant and is a relatively more affordable alternative treatment for their excruciating pain.
“This is an eleventh hour appeal to the Senate under Senate President Francis Escudero to pass the proposed law already approved by the House of Representatives that seeks to legalize the use of medical cannabis as an alternative, relatively more affordable pain reliever for Filipinos hurting from debilitating medical conditions,” said Villafuerte, governor-elect of Camarines Sur.
Debilitating medical conditions include cancer, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous system, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments identified by the Department of Health (DOH).
“I am keeping my hopes up that with the commitment of SP Chiz on the eve of the reopening of the Congress for the Senate to give top priority to pending urgent bills in our final legislative session weeks, this outgoing Legislature can cap its record feats in its third and final session by writing this long-proposed law legalizing the use of CBD or cannabidiol (cannabis oil) only for medical or therapeutic purposes,” he said.
Villafuerte voiced optimism that last year’s recognition by a United Nations’ commission on the medical value of cannabis oil will prompt the Upper Chamber to pass Senate Bill (SB) 2573, which is their counterpart version of the House-approved measure.
